Wichita eagle., 1887-03-30
THE BANDERA STONE

Reference was made the other day to the
fact that Col D. P. Jones, the head Of the
Bandera Stone Company, had established his
general office at Wichita. A la'e number OF
the Kansas City Journal contains a readable
article on this great flaggery deposit, from
which we extract, which will be read with
interest by Wichita men who propose per
manent improvements.
The use Of stone in the improvements of a
city is the measure OF its enduring growth.
1t s the one visible and indisputable EVIL
dence of it's great wealth. 1t is the ample
guarantee for It's being a still mightier
metropolis. Kansas City has reached that
period in it's wonderful development where
plain rectangular two-story frame or brick
houses with ''dash board" fronts and tn
roofs will not answer sor business purposes
Frame dwellings, in nondescript style of
architecture, will no logger serve AZ the
homes for it's citizens The board sidewalk
must go-to the suburbs at least.
Walnut creek is a stopping place on the
st Louis. Fort Scott & Wichita railroad
which is distinguished in all its advertise
ments by the rather gorgeous alias OF the
'SuDfiower Route"-in Bourbon county.
Kan, and west of the thriving city of Fort
Scott about a dozen miles. This same way
station is distant from Kansas City, via the
Gulf road, only ll2 miles; it can also be
reached via the Missouri Pacific. From
Walnut creek switch, less than
thirty rods in length, runs into the
Bandera flagstone quarry, quarry which
produces a stone Of a fine quality at mod
crate price, quarry which is destined to be
q center of interest for years to come to all
the financially solid citizens of Kansas City
The history of the quarry may be told in Il
Jew words, from the fact that it was opened
less than two years ago, under the manage
ment of Colonel u. T. Jones. The company
owns about 290 acres OF stone lands and has
expended a large sum on them and III
the machinery necessary to get their
product ready for shipment. The
color. The deposit of paving stone is II feet
deep There 1Orty-seven strata or layers in
this mass, varying in thickness from TO q
inches. These layers are taken out in blocks
Of any desired length Or width The natural
surface is sufficiently smooth for use in any
sidewalk, but for the use of those desiring a
planed surface there is in the quarry one of
The most perfect stone planners in
the country. capable Of dressing
1000 superficial feet per day. This planning
machine is on the rotar principle, and
was designed by Col. Jones himself. The
stone is planed as soon as it is quarried.
This is done for the reason that this stone
has the qualities of most sandstOneS, VIZ +,
hardening by exposure. OF natural surface
stone the output is about 5000 superficial
feet per day, most Of which goes to the
large towns and cities of Kansss, Missouri,
Nebraska and Texas. Experiments with
this stone through series of years show that
1t endures the most severe tests Of heat
and cold ana exposure, wearing xni-
formly and affoTding a good foothoid. In
brief, the Bandera flagstone possesses all the
desirable qualities OF good sidewalk stone
and may be summed up rs follows: First.
cheapness; second, good foothold; third, no
minor stratification; fourth, lis qualify unaf-
fectsd by heat or frost, and fifth, durability.
Besides this most perfect tagging, The Ban
dera company can supply the most beautiful
stone for building trimmings Its
coior is q sort OF olive gray, and it
forms a most admirable and artistic contrast
to the handsome kansas City brick work.
For belt courses, sIlls aud lihteis 1t cannot
be surpassed, end vast amounts OF it will no
bOubt be used here. This quarry IS
practically inexhaustihIe and it is
well that IL is So, since already
there is strong demand for it in st. Louis.
Quiucy, III !, Omaha, Dallas and othor lm-
portaut cities in the great N .ssis>ippi valley.